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I know I resent Steve's feminist remark, that has nothing to do with teaching our children how to protect themselves when we are not there. I guess we just hide them in the house or put them in the yard and pray no one will approach them. Better yet how many kids, young girls, even babies are stolen right out of their home?

When I was 7 in 1977, we lived in Okalahoma City. I was playing Barbie's in the Jeep Land Cruiser around dusk and a man approached the vehicle and said he "had presents for me in his car parked right over there". I told him to go get my mom and started to honk the horn, rolled up the window locked the doors and layed on the horn... he left. My mom yelled out the window to stop playing in the car. Then when I was 16 now living in Toluca Lake, CA. I had a horrible experience when a guy climbed in my window while I was sleeping, he said he had a gun. By the grace of God he ended up leaving with out anyone being hurt. I don't know if he was ever caught. Funny thing is the cops scolded me for telling him "I think you need to leave". I gues they thought I should have been submissive as not to get hurt. I think it is a control/power thing with preditors. The reality of this issue is always in the back of my mind and I have since become, some would say paranoid. My husband doesn't understand my constant concern to have all the windows shut and locked even in the sweltering summer nights.

Dear JP,

I'm going to throw this out for whatever it's worth.

A few years ago, I stood in the checkout lane of a grocery store. I was tired, I wanted to get home and cook, and get my family settled in for the night.

Before I knew it, I was talking to a stranger behind me and proudly showing pictures of my little girl.

That's a thing we feel safe in doing. "Hey, here's my darling. You got a picture of yours?"

The foolishness in doing such a thing never struck me.

Well, it wasn't long after that we had problems at my home. An older man showing my daughter porn pictures through a glass door and attempting to beat his way in after I'd dropped her off from school.

Was it the same guy at the grocery store? I don't know, and never will.

I live in a small town and shudder now at the thought that from the grocery store to my house is less than 2 blocks.

All I'm trying to get across is that sometimes in our loving (and ignorant) way, we do stupid things that perps look for us to do in a proud fashion.

I have since removed all pictures from my purse. I no longer carry any pictures of any kind. None of my daughter, my Mom, my brothers and sisters or, even of my doggies.

Whatever needs to be done in this country to protect our kids should be done immediately and with no respect to the "rights" of people who choose to kill a child. I don't have a thought run through my mind other than, "SIZZLE."

Sadly, sometimes it is that the mother must work and the dad is long gone. Community, though, can do a lot to prosper a little girl or boy, and that community would lack nothing for having done so. Matter of fact, only enrich their community by looking after their own.

In Lil Carlie's case, she was a beautiful young lady. Her eyes speak to her kindness and generosity and potential.

Her smile speaks to her love, compassion and friendliness.

We all will miss her presence very much. Our world will suffer her loss and will miss the joy and love Carlie would've brought to us.

Best to you, JP.